This invention relates to a trouble checking apparatus for use with an automotive vehicle.
Japanese Patent Kokai No. 56-47805 discloses a trouble checking apparatus operable in accordance with a checking program for checking engine operation in certain respects while running the engine under a specified condition. Japanese Patent Kokai No. 55-162069 discloses a trouble checking apparatus which monitors a voltage signal outputted from a sensor such as a temperature sensor and provides an alarm when the monitored voltage signal is out of a range defined by predetermined upper and lower limits. Although such conventional trouble checking apparatus are satisfactory in checking a simple trouble produced in a sensor or a line connected to the sensor, there usefulness is limited in inspecting the cause of a complex trouble.
In order to inspect the cause of a complex automotive vehicle trouble, there has been developed another type of trouble checking apparatus which can synthesize the whole situation of the automotive vehicle operation. The trouble checking apparatus of this type employs a number of sensors sensitive to various automotive vehicle operating conditions and analyzes the sensed automotive vehicle operating conditions in a predetermined sequence. However, such conventional trouble checking apparatus requires troublesome operations to set the sensors at various positions of the automotive vehicle before the trouble checking operation starts.